Noodles with Chicken Eggy Sauce

Although it is still early to start thinking about Chinese New Year, I can’t help but reminisce about the dishes that I used to eat when I went back to my grandparents’ place for the occasion. One of the many dishes is Char Hor Fun which means stir-fry flat rice noodles in Mandarine – a popular Chinese street food in Malaysia and the only stall outside my grandparent’s place that was open for business during Chinese New Year.

When I was a child, I loved to follow my parents to takeaway this dish just to catch the Char Hor  Fun sellers in action in spite of coming home smelling like a waft of smoke. I was in awe how nimbly they tossed the flat rice noodles with a little soy sauce in the heavy iron wok over the blazing fire until it was lightly charred. Then with the same agile movement, they set aside the noodles and move on to prepare the thick eggy sauce with chicken/pork, fish ball slices, prawns and vegetables.

Never had I wish to become a cook by trade or Char Hor Fun seller in this case, I do secretly hope that I posses 1/10th of their skills. If you can cook with an iron wok, hats off to you. If you can cook with an iron wok and toss the noodles like these professionals, I’ll salute you. After all iron wok is no feather weight. Forget about tossing noodles like a pro, I can barely steady myself holding a homestyled stainless steel wok with one hand let alone the iron clad one.

So taking into consideration my current culinary skills and the ingredients I have in my pantry and fridge, I gave this dish a complete makeover. If you had this dish before, please note that this is my improvised version of Char Hor Fun.

{Dried shitake mushrooms soak in hot water for at least 20 minutes}

{Instant noodle blocks – you can buy just the noodles without the flavouring sachets}

Noodles with Chicken Eggy Sauce

(A Fuss Free Cooking Recipe)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 instant noodles

300g chicken fillets, diced

1 carrot, diced

A handful of Asian greens or shredded cabbage

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked & soften & diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 fresh chilli, minced

1.5 tbsp light soy sauce

1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Some white pepper

Salt & sugar to taste

3 tbsp cornflour mix with 1/4 cup of water

4 cups of water

Method:

To prepare chicken eggy sauce:-

1. Marinate chicken with 0.5 tbsp light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, a drop of sesame oil, salt and white pepper. Set aside.

2.Heat pan with some oil and saute garlic, chilli and mushrooms over medium flame until aromatic.

3. Add chicken and carrots to the garlic mixture and saute until the chicken is cooked.

4. Add 4 cups of water and the remaining light & dark soy sauce and cook over high heat until it starts to boil.

5. Check the taste and season (with salt & sugar) as required. Turn the heat to low, lid on and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

6. Turn the flame to high, add the cornflour mixture and stir to combine.

7. When the sauce thickens, drizzle the beaten eggs, sesame oil and white pepper into the sauce the stir gently. Put back the lid and set aside.

8. Cook noodles according to packet instructions.

To serve:-

1. Spoon eggy sauce over cooked noodles and serve immediately.

{Enjoy!}